Cursed

Chapter 22

Back in Feldcroft, Anne struggled with another wave of coughing. She looked to her handkerchief. Bright red splotches were scattered across the delicate white fabric. She swore under her breath. She was getting worse. She had refused to tell Sebastian for fear that he might become obsessed again. It would have been a waste of good effort if he fell back into the dark arts.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud bang of her door slamming open. Juniper rushed in.

"I've got it. Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Anne responded.

She believed that Juniper had been taking it too far, trying to break curses that she would cast that resulted in the deaths of many. But she did not want to die, and Juniper was her last hope.

Juniper gently guided the frail girl onto her broom after thoroughly bundling her in warm garments and blankets. They set off southwest of Feldcroft to a little cave between their hamlet and Irondale, secluded from any passerbyers. Juniper practically carried Anne into the belly of the cave where she had laid out candles around the room for lighting. In the middle of the room was a large stone platform, and on each corner was a blade, glowing and ready. It was only until they reached the stone that Anne realized that Juniper's clothing had been damped not from sweat but thick crimson blood. She looked at her friend with fearful eyes.

"June, are you sure?"

"I have to be, I must. I promise it will be okay. I'll be okay."

Juniper set Anne down on the platform and began the ritual. A surprisingly simple ritual, yet hard at the same time for the wielder to practice on a loved one. Juniper had to prick Anne with the activated blades at the same time without causing major harm but enough to pierce the skin and produce blood. The curse will put up a fight and desperately try to stay within the cursed body. It was excruciating to the host, but more so to the wielder. Juniper would give up her body and transfer the curse to herself to never be broken again. But Juniper had prepared a plan to prevent that, and with the power-enhancing blades, she should manage to remove Anne's curse without causing any harm to her or herself. The downside of her prevention plan was the being living in Juniper's body. Juniper assured Anne that it would be alright in the end as long as she followed her orders as directed. She could've easily removed the curse the same way she did with the goblin, but Anne's curse was more elaborate and darker, and she would not risk it failing.

The temperature in the cave dropped significantly, yet both Anne and Juniper were sweating. Juniper had called her ancient magic and created a circle around them. The blue flames created a menacing light to the dark cave. Juniper took in a deep breath and let her inhabitor take over completely.

_________

The time warp spell began to dissolve, freeing Sebastian and Ominis from their trap. Sebastian made his way to his friend, who remained on the floor where Juniper, or whoever that thing was, left him.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian asked.

"Did you see that?"

"See what? How did you see anything?"

"I felt it. One moment, there were just the three of us, and in the next moment another was present. Like a spirit of some kind." Ominis rubbed his eyes.

"I saw. For a moment, this ghost like figure came out of Juniper's body, just before she attacked you. The girls were right. She's not the same because it's not her."